Contrary to news making the rounds on several online news portals,
alleging that operatives of the Department of State Security on Friday
sealed a private Nigerian TV station, CORE TV, in an attempt to silence
the media, DAILY POST has exclusively gathered that the presence of the
heavily armed policemen seen moving out the station’s equipment had
nothing to do with media clampdown.

The security operatives stormed the station premises early hours of
Friday to enforce an order emanating from the FCT High Court concerning
the ownership of the station’s premises.

Our Correspondent reports that about 35 heavily-armed policemen and
patrol vehicles were on guard around the premises of the broadcast house
as hired labourers were busy moving the station’s property out of the
building located at 34, Sokode Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, fueling
suspicion of a clampdown.

A staff of the station who pleaded not to be mentioned, told DAILY
POST that the order may have to do with the tussle for the ownership
rights to the premises and not with the professional conduct of the
station.

He said that there had been a lingering court case regarding the
property since 2004, and that may have predicated the clampdown.

Running with that lead, the correspondent sought to obtain a copy of the court order.

One of the security operative, who showed DAILY POST the court order,
said they had no business with the operations of the station but were
merely carrying out instructions to recover the station premises.

According to the court order titled: “Warrant for Recovery of
Premise” with number. FCT/HC/W/219/96, Gazi Constructions Ltd, who
leased the property to the Core TV station was asked to, within 24
hours, cede the property to Bill Construction (Nig) Ltd.

Meanwhile, the managing director of the station, Mr. Olajide
Adeniran, said the operatives shut down the station and barricaded the
area around 4:00 a.m without prior notice of wrongdoing.

He also questioned the legality of carrying out an order of the court at night.

“This takes us entirely by surprise. They never formally notified us
of any wrongdoing, But even if there’s a court order restraining our
operations on premises, why should it be in the middle of the night that
they will enforce it and why should they carry our systems and files?”
he said.

He, however, exonerated the station from any form of illegality, saying that the media house had no axe to grind with the law.